Ask about advertisements packed inside an order

Ask the retailer that shipped the order two things. First, does its postal marketing preference cover promotional inserts packed in boxes? Second, can inserts be left out of your future packages? Neither option may exist, and the retailer may not be able to set it for one customer, so wait for its actual reply.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated October 2, 2026.

Ask about inserts and postal preferences

Keep the insert. Note the order it came in, the order date, the retailer's name and what the flyer promotes.
Check the retailer's official help pages for anything about marketing in packages or mailed promotions, and read what each preference says it covers.
Contact the retailer with both questions. State that order notifications and deliveries should stay as they are, and ask the retailer to confirm this in its reply.
When the next order arrives, check the box against what the retailer told you.

Reading the reply

A retailer might say that inserts come from partners, that they are part of standard packing, or that they cannot be turned off for one customer. Each answer tells you whether it is worth asking again. If the reply mentions a setting, ask exactly what it covers: inserts, mailed catalogs or both.

Ask only about promotional flyers. A box can also hold receipts, return labels, warranty cards or recall information that you may need, so name the specific insert instead of asking for nothing extra.

Sample insert question

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

Order [order number or date] from [retailer] included a promotional insert titled [insert name]. Can promotional inserts be left out of future packages sent to [name] at [shipping address]? Is this covered by a postal marketing preference, or handled separately? Please confirm that order notifications and deliveries will not change.

Act on what the retailer says

If the retailer confirms that inserts can be left out, save that reply and compare the next package with it. If it says they cannot, decide whether the retailer's mailed promotions are worth a separate postal request.

Official source

FTC: How To Stop Junk Mail

Identify the sender of postal offers after a marketplace purchase Handle an advertising insert with no mailing label Ask what a postal-mail confirmation covers After a purchase All practical mail guides

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Photograph one piece you are authorized to handle, with the sender and full mailing label visible. Review the details before submitting. The first request is free; the sender controls the response.

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